Ok, limpets... first off, I'm not sure synthesis is really the ideal option for them.
In fact, I think they should probably just go away entirely.
Now wait, I know, they're useful as can be and the Fuel Rats would be lost without them, but bare with me a minute.
Instead of stocking, carrying, deploying and expending limpets like we do right now, get rid of the Limpet itself, and upgrade the Controller to function more like a Fighter hanger - when we need a limpet, the controller produces it, it is launched, lives out its lifespan doing whatever role it serves, goes poof, and that's that. For controllers capable of managing multiple limpets, they produce the number of limpets they can control. So, a Collector Limpet Controller that can run 3 Collector Limpets produces 3 Collector Limpets that can then be launched, will Collect, Expire and have to be rebuilt - much in the way a Fighter Hanger produces a new fighter when the old fighter is destroyed.
Give the Limpet Controller a "charge" of limpets, much like the AFMU has a "charge" of repairs. Going back to our 3 Collector Limpet Controller - let's give it a "charge" of 30, so it can produce a total of 30 collector limpets, 3 at a time, until that "charge" is depleted. Then let us synthesis a new "charge", again, just like we can do with the AFMU, and you'll have lots of happy Miners, Explorers, Fuel Rats, Pirates - in fact, I can't think of anyone who would complain about this sort of change. And for the Intermediate and Advanced synthesis - let us "over-charge", so an intermediate restock would give us a "charge" of 60 Limpets, and an Advanced restock would give us 90.
QoL Improvement: 1000%
Heat Sinks...
I don't really have an issue with synthesizing heat sinks. I don't have any issues with ships popping heat sinks anyways - sure, target lock is dropped. I target them as if using Fixed weapons, non-problem. There are plenty of times I don't even lock on to a target after scanning - I will scan several ships at a time to see who is wanted and who isn't, and then open fire without a lock. It's not really an issue.
One can only carry so many SCB's, and if a ship is particularly annoying with SCB's, targeting a shield generator is great way of dealing with them.
Leave shield boosters alone. A long fight between big ships is part of what makes big ships worth the time and effort to get them. I wouldn't mind committing 15, 20 even 30 minutes to taking down a big ship. Combat is only so interesting in the first place, and a battle that feels like an actual battle, well, that's rewarding.
